Yu Ping was startled and turned her head to see that the man had somehow followed her out. The area behind him was clear, with no sign of those vixen-like women.
"General Li has someone to serve him wholeheartedly. Staying here is useless for this servant. I might as well follow you back."
He wasn't worried; it wasn't his young lady who was lost!
However, these words took on a different meaning when heard by Li Chengyan.
"Forgive me, who serves you better than others? Are you angry?"
Yu Ping: ???
Don't touch me!
"General Li, please don't make fun of this servant!"
She said with a cold, small face, as if genuinely angered. Li Chengyan's lips curved, and his response was quick.
"Alright, I was wrong."
Yu Ping's scalp tingled under his gaze.
"Brother Xu, let's go quickly."
Hearing that she still intended to go back, Li Chengyan's eyebrows rose. Just as he was about to speak again, he was interrupted by the woman's affected voice.
"General Li, the walnuts you asked this humble servant to shell earlier, I have finished them."
The woman from the camp earlier stepped forward gracefully, holding a plate of shelled walnut kernels. Her slender, white fingertips clung to the edge of the plate, already looking quite red and swollen.
Coupled with her eyes, which held a watery shimmer, any man would feel a pang of sympathy.
Glancing at Yu Ping, who stood beside her with a blank face, she felt confident of victory.
"Please, General."
Conservatively estimating, this address would send a thousand goosebumps crawling.
Yu Ping and Xu Yunxiao exchanged a glance, and as if by tacit understanding, they made their escape.
Seeing this, Li Chengyan's brow furrowed. He wanted to call out to them, but the woman blocked his view completely.
"General~"
This delay meant that Yu Ping and Xu Yunxiao were long gone.
His handsome face darkened. He glanced down and spoke in a chilling tone, "Once you've finished shelling, eat more to supplement that brain of yours."
With that, he turned and headed back into the tent. The woman, however, was stunned.
"Hey, General..."
The previous night's fight between Feng Wuxi and the assassins had left many traces. As soon as Xu Yunxiao entered, he sensed something was amiss.
Yu Ping was initially confused, but upon seeing several scattered sabers on the ground, her expression immediately changed.
"Brother Xu..."
The kitchen door was ajar. Xu Yunxiao's face tensed, and he quickened his pace inward.
Unlike the situation in the courtyard, the kitchen was neat and tidy, showing no sign of disturbance.
Frowning, just as he was about to retreat, Yu Ping's startled cry rang out.
"Brother Xu, silver needles!"
Several silver needles lay scattered silently on the ground near the stove. Like the ones left at the entrance of the west wing, they were Feng Yinwan's needles!
Xu Yunxiao strode forward, looked around, and reached out to lift the pot lid.
The wooden lid was prone to leaving marks. He looked closely and exclaimed in surprise upon seeing the additional mark on the inner wall of the lid.
"Miss Yu Ping."
Upon hearing his call, Yu Ping immediately moved closer. The moment she saw the small symbol, her face lit up with joy.
"This... this is something Miss left!"
After arriving in Jinzhou, they had established a few simple communication symbols, and this symbol meant safety.
"It seems Miss is not in danger for now."
Xu Yunxiao was also pleased, but then, thinking of the scattered sabers and signs of a struggle in the courtyard, he faltered slightly.
"If she's not in danger, why didn't the Princess Consort come to see us? Could it be... she encountered some trouble?"
Yu Ping shook her head, paused for a moment, and then spoke.
"Miss might have had other matters that temporarily prevent her from showing herself. However, since she left us a sign, it means there's no danger at the moment."
Knowing that Feng Yinwan was safe gave them some peace of mind.
Xu Yunxiao nodded, "I hope the Princess Consort is well."
Feng Yinwan was indeed unharmed for now, but she was about to be!
After returning to the manor last night, Feng Wuxi had personally supervised her to the Yingyue Pool to treat Feng Yueli. She had worked all night and into the morning, and when it was time to remove the needles, she felt as if she were about to die!
"I have administered the medicinal pill to Miss Li'er, and her condition will not worsen for the time being."
Looking at Feng Yueli's subtly recovering complexion, Feng Wuxi nodded and reminded her.
"Don't forget what this master assigned you."
Having pulled an all-nighter, Feng Yinwan's mind was already somewhat hazy. Upon hearing this, she was instantly stunned.
"What matter?"
Feng Wuxi glanced at her. "Didn't you complain last night that the food at Wuxi Pavilion was unpalatable?"
He was, of course, referring to her cooking.
Feng Yinwan, reminded by him, immediately forgot even more.
"Ah? Did I say that? I don't think so?"
Definitely not, it didn't sound like something she would say!
Feng Wuxi's eyes narrowed slightly as he listened to her three-part denial.
"You said it. This master heard it with both ears."
He glanced at her and then continued with a smirk.
"If those two ears of yours aren't just for decoration, you should have heard it too."
Feng Yinwan: "..."
Although she was extremely unwilling, reluctant, and unhappy, she was still dragged to the kitchen by Feng Wuxi.
The head cook's face changed upon seeing Feng Wuxi, and he immediately trembled.
"Pavilion... Pavilion Master, why have you come?"
Feng Wuxi is a cleanliness freak!
He, of all people, had personally descended to this greasy, smoke-filled place. It could only mean trouble!
The cook's hand, holding the large iron ladle, trembled slightly, and he was already recalling what he had cooked in the past seven days.
To his surprise, Feng Wuxi spoke next, telling him to step aside.
"Physician Jiang told this master that your cooking is too unpalatable. For today's meal, he will be cooking personally."
Feng Yinwan: ?
The cook: ?
The ladle: ?
Feng Wuxi: Sunglasses face / Nike mouth / smug.jpg
"What are you standing around for? Step aside quickly."
"Yes, yes, yes."
The cook snapped back to attention and immediately retreated. As the iron ladle was handed over, Feng Yinwan successfully deciphered a message from his eyes.
[You little punk, just you wait!]
Damn it, this is crazy.
Holding the heavy iron ladle in her hand, Feng Yinwan felt a chilling despair.
To make matters worse, Feng Wuxi, who enjoyed watching the drama, urged her on.
"It's almost lunchtime. Physician Jiang, please start quickly. This master eagerly awaits your culinary creations."
After saying that, he gracefully lifted the hem of his robe and left.
Behind him, only the cook's death stare remained. Feng Yinwan's pressure instantly increased.
"Um... brother, do you mind... a perfect return of the gem..."
She was referring to returning the large iron ladle.
To her surprise, the cook glared at her, showing no intention of giving her any leeway.
"This humble servant would not dare presume to be Physician Jiang's elder brother. Physician Jiang, since it is the Pavilion Master's command, please begin quickly. This humble servant is also very eager to witness your culinary skills."
Feng Yinwan: "..."
You just want to see how I die, don't you!
Gritting her teeth, she slammed the ladle down and immediately headed towards the produce section.
It's just cooking, what's the big deal? Could this possibly stump her?
She had arrived full of confidence, but less than a second later, her spirit began to flag.
She gazed at the array of colorful ingredients on the table, her beautiful eyes darting about, and then an idea struck her.